Homemade Hamburger Buns (Onion Poppy Seed Included)

Name: Homemade Hamburger Buns
Prep time: 100 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 140 min
Ingredients: 1 cup milk; 1 tablespoon sugar; 2 teaspoons active dry yeast; 4 cups flour (480 g); ¼ cup sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 egg (large); 4 tablespoons butter (softened); 1 onion; 2 tablespoons butter; ¼ teaspoon salt; poppy seeds; 1 tablespoon milk or water; 1 egg (large)

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Homemade hamburger buns are a game changer. Soft, buttery, and strong enough to hold every glorious topping, they make a homemade burger feel like something out of a restaurant kitchen. In this post, you’ll learn how to make both classic homemade hamburger buns and onion poppy seed buns—tender, golden, and rich with flavor. I’ll walk you through the process, from understanding enriched dough and mastering the windowpane test to shaping buns that bake up glossy, round, and bakery-beautiful. By the end, you’ll know how to make restaurant-quality buns at home; buns that stay soft, hold their structure, and turn every burger night into an occasion worth slowing down for.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Simple recipe that can help you learn to shape buns
Next level in bread baking after making a basic loaf

What You’ll Walk Away Knowing

How to shape buns confidently
What an enriched dough is
How to do a windowpane test

Characteristics of Enriched Dough and Buns

Burger buns are an enriched dough, meaning they’re made with rich ingredients like milk, eggs, and butter. These additions give the dough its signature softness and subtle sweetness. The texture should feel almost sticky, smooth, and rich. Enriched doughs rise a little slower, but that patience pays off in flavor and tenderness.

The Windowpane Test

The windowpane test is how you know your dough is strong and ready to rise. Tear off a small piece and gently stretch it between your fingers. If it thins into a translucent sheet without tearing, like soft light shining through parchment, it means the gluten has developed properly. If it rips right away, knead a bit longer. You’re building the dough’s structure here—the quiet strength that gives your buns their soft, cloudlike crumb.

Ingredient shot of hamburger buns items such as flour, eggs, butter, salt, and sugar.

Ingredient List

All-Purpose Flour: I prefer all-purpose because it gives a softer texture than bread flour. Bread flour creates chewier buns, while all-purpose keeps them tender and delicate.

Milk: Using milk instead of water gives the buns a richer flavor. I use whole milk, but you can also use 2% or skim milk.

Sugar: Some of the sugar feeds the yeast and the other sugar in the dough is to sweeten the dough itself. If you dont like a sweetish roll, you can omit it, but keep the tablespoon used to wake up the yeast.

Active Dry Yeast: I buy yeast in a jar instead of packets because I bake often. The packets have 2 ¼ teaspoons in them. If you’re using a packet, use the whole thing. If you buy it in a jar, measuring out 2 teaspoons is enough.

Butter: Unsalted butter is a standard in baking because we want to control the salt, but you can use salted butter if it’s all you have. It’s going to lend richness to the bun. You can also use 3 tablespoons of a neutral oil, such as avocado oil.

Egg: I use large eggs. It should be at room temperature if possible so it incorporates more quickly into the dough so you don’t run the risk of overmixing the dough.

Onion Poppy Seed Bun Ingredients

Onion: I prefer a yellow or sweet onion. You can also use red onions if you want.

Poppy Seeds: I love an onion poppy seed roll. If you prefer, you can sprinkle the buns with sesame seeds instead.

Ingredient shot of onions, salt, and butter.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Caramelizing the Onion

Preheat a skillet on medium heat
Dice an onion and add to the pan with 2 tablespoons of butter
Once the onion starts to sizzle, turn the temperature down and allow the onions to slowly caramelize
Stir the onions occasionally so that they can brown evenly

Thirty minutes of the onions cooking and turning golden brown.

Making the Dough

Warm 1 cup of milk to 105-110°F and add 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons of active dry yeast, and allow to foam for 5-10 minutes
In a stand mixer bowl, mix 4 cups of flour, ¼ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt together
Once the yeast mixture is foamy, mix 1 large egg into it
Slowly pour the yeast and egg mixture into the stand mixer while it is turned on
Once the flour is moistened, add the four tablespoons of butter and mix on speed 4 for 2 minutes
Allow the dough to rest and absorb the liquid for 5 minutes
Mix on speed 4 for another 6 minutes and then allow to rise for one hour in the stand mixer bowl with a damp towel on top
Once the dough has doubled in size, mix again to collect the dough into a bowl

Homemade hamburger bun dough after it's just been mixed.

Burger bun dough after it has been proofing for 30 minutes.

Burger bun dough after it has proofed for a full hour.

Shaping the Dough

Weigh the dough and divide it by 8-10 depending on how many burger buns that you want.
Weigh out each ball into an even amount or you can just eyeball it
Flatten the ball into a disk
Pull the edges up and over into the center
Flip the ball with the seam down and use your hands to gently shape it into a circle
Flatten the disk and put it on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with a damp towel and allow to rise until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes

Dough turned over and shaped into a ball with a cupped hand.

Onion Poppy Seed Variation

During step 3 above, add a sprinkling of poppy seeds and 2 teaspoons of caramelized onions before pulling the edges up and over.

The dough ball is closed up with the caramelized onions inside.

Flipped over dough ball that has been shaped into a circle with a cupped hand.

Onion poppy seed dough ball ready for the second rise.

Baking the Buns

Preheat the oven to 375°F
If you want to add an egg wash, now is the time.
- Mix one egg with a tablespoon of water or milk and gently brush onto the top and sides of the bun
You can sprinkle with sesame seeds, caramelized onions, and poppy seeds
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown
Move the buns to a cooling rack and let them come to room temperature

Buns after proofing for 30 minutes that are almost doubled in size.

Expert Tips

Measure ingredients by weight if possible.

Bread baking rewards precision. Weighing your flour and liquid instead of scooping removes the guesswork and ensures the perfect texture every time.

Trust the dough, not the clock.

Dough doesn’t care what your timer says—it listens to temperature and humidity. Your best clue is how it looks and feels: soft, puffy, and doubled in size. Patience here is everything.

Keep it tacky, not sticky.

A little stickiness means hydration, which equals a tender crumb. Resist the urge to add too much flour. The dough should cling lightly to your fingers before letting go.

Develop that gluten net.

Gluten is your scaffolding for fluffiness. Knead or mix until the dough stretches thin like satin when you pull it between your fingers (the windowpane test). This is what traps air bubbles and gives the buns lift.

Use room-temperature ingredients.

Cold milk, butter, or eggs slow yeast activity and can make your dough sluggish. Let everything warm up slightly so the dough rises evenly.

Shape with tension, not force.

When shaping buns, gently stretch the dough surface down and around to create a smooth top, tucking the seams underneath. This surface tension helps them rise upward instead of outward.

Proof until almost doubled before baking.

Under-proofed = tight buns that crack. Over-proofed = flat buns that collapse. The Goldilocks zone: when they’ve puffed noticeably and spring back slowly when poked.

Egg wash is your secret weapon.

For that glossy, golden bakery finish, brush with beaten egg (and a splash of milk) right before baking. For a softer matte crust, try milk alone.

Add toppings strategically.

For onion or seed-topped buns, press toppings gently into the dough after egg wash so they adhere during baking. Loose seeds burn; onions need slight moisture to caramelize, not char.

Cool before slicing.

I know, the smell is unfair. But slicing hot buns lets steam escape, drying them out. Let them rest at least 20 minutes on a wire rack; your patience will be rewarded with pillowy texture.

What to Serve with Homemade Hamburger Buns

My favorite way to use these buns is for my Guacamole Bacon Burger. They work well with pulled pork, grilled chicken, or even breakfast egg sandwiches.

Bacon guacamole burger on a plate looking gorgeous.

Storage and Reheating

Leave the buns on the counter in a plastic bag for 3 days. You can also refrigerate to help it last longer. They also freeze well in a plastic bag for up to 3 months.

To refresh leftover buns, warm them for a few seconds in the microwave or toast them lightly, just enough to bring back that bakery softness.

FAQs

Why do my hamburger buns turn out dense instead of fluffy?

Dense buns usually mean the dough didn’t have quite enough air or elasticity to expand fully. A few things could be at play:

Under-kneading or too little gluten development: Gluten is the net that traps air. If it’s weak, your dough won’t hold the gas the yeast produces. Knead (or stretch and fold) until the dough passes the windowpane test, when you can gently stretch it thin enough to see light through without tearing.

Too much flour: Dough for soft buns should feel tacky, not dry. If you add flour until it’s no longer sticking at all, you’ve gone too far.

Cold or short proof: Yeast likes warmth. If your dough hasn’t doubled in size during bulk fermentation, it’s not ready yet no matter what the clock says.

Expired or sleepy yeast: Test your yeast in warm water with a little sugar. If it doesn’t foam up within 10 minutes, it’s time for new yeast.

How do I get buns that don’t split on the side while baking?

Side splits are the bread’s way of saying, “You rushed me.” They usually happen when the outer crust sets before the inside can expand, so the dough bursts through the weakest spot.

Here’s how to prevent it:

Proof just right: Over-proofed dough loses strength, while under-proofed dough expands too fast in the oven. Aim for that sweet spot—when a gently poked finger leaves a slow, shallow dent.

Shape with intention: When shaping each bun, tuck the seams tightly underneath and pinch them closed. If seams are on the side, that’s where the dough will tear.

Avoid over-flouring your surface: Too much dry flour between layers prevents the dough from sealing properly when shaped.

Steam or gentle humidity helps: A light spritz of water or a shallow pan of water in the oven keeps the crust supple during the first few minutes of baking.

Can I make the dough the night before?

Yes! Let it rise once, then refrigerate the dough overnight. The slow fermentation deepens the flavor and makes the dough easier to shape the next day. Bring it to room temperature before baking.

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Fresh baked burger bun on a cutting board.

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Homemade Hamburger Buns

These homemade hamburger buns are soft, rich, and sturdy enough to hold even the juiciest burger. With a golden crust and tender crumb, they bring restaurant-quality flavor to every backyard dinner table.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:1 40

Cook Time:20

Rest Time:20

Total Time:2 20

Equipment

Stand Mixer
Dough Hook

Ingredients

Hamburger Bun Dough

1 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
4 cups flour 480 g
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg large
4 tablespoons butter softened

Onion Poppy Seed Ingredients

1 onion
2 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon salt
poppy seeds

Egg Wash

1 tablespoon milk or water
1 egg large